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The Forum > Article Comments > Palestine: democracies in diplomatic disarray > Comments

Palestine: democracies in diplomatic disarray : Comments

By David Singer, published 20/12/2012

It mattered even less that Abbas was purporting to speak on behalf of a territorial entity he did not control.

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#David G

Guess I was proved right again.

You just could not resist having another go. I thought you said no one should comment any further.

All the fools frauds and fanatics who enjoy shooting the messenger and ignoring the messages contained in my articles need a new avenue to express themselves.

Perhaps singing Christmas carols will engender a feeling of goodwill at this festive season and serve to blow away any thoughts of personal hate and ill will.

Here are are few carols for you all to join in singing:

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Or this one might suit you better:

Once in royal Davids city,
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby,
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ, her little Child.

David's royal city? Where was that?

Or perhaps this one:

This star drew nigh to the northwest
O'er Bethlehem it took its rest
And there it did both Pause and stay
Right o'er the place where Jesus lay.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

There you are - a Jew born in Bethlehem so long ago and sung about by hundreds of millions of people every year for the last 200 years or more - long before the UN Resolution on 29 November that seeks to deny Jews having any entitlement to live in any part of Bethlehem.

Do you regard those who sing these carols as all displaying "Jewish fanaticism and deranged thinking."

Start singing these carols instead.

Another miracle leading to a major change in your hate-filled lives could well be the result.
Posted by david singer, Saturday, 22 December 2012 12:29:39 PM
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David Singer writes many pro-Israel articles in these pages .At times they make this reader wonder where the truth actually lies.

This time he writes that President Mahmoud "Abbas was a lapsed President whose term of office had expired in January 2009" - a situation that would never be tolerated in other countries.

That Abbas spoke as a “tyrannical despot” over a “territory he did not control” where “the people had no say”.

As I watched it on TV, David, I was struck by the fact that all United Nations countries accepted him, and a majority supported him . Also the joyous celebrations in Palestine convinced me that the people accepted him and were behind him. I also have trouble seeing little Mahmoud Abbas as a “tyrannical dictator.”

On the other hand I was utterly dismayed that my country abstained – that it refused to support a move towards Palestinian independence and eventual peace in the Middle East.

Peter Bowden

Summer Hill,
Posted by Peter Bowden, Monday, 24 December 2012 1:19:48 PM
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#To Peter Bowden

Firstly let me compliment you on wanting to question matters raised in my article. I am always happy to respond.

1. You state:

"This time he writes that President Mahmoud "Abbas was a lapsed President whose term of office had expired in January 2009" - a situation that would never be tolerated in other countries."

My reply:

(a) On 9 January 2009, Abbas term as president, at least as he was originally elected, ended. Abbas extended his term for another year, stating the Basic Law gave him the right to do so, so he could align the next presidential and parliamentary elections. Pointing to the Palestinian constitution, Hamas disputes the validity of this move, and considers Abbas' term to have ended, in which case Abdel Aziz Duwaik, Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council has become acting president.Abbas remains as the president even though his one year extended term has expired. (From Wikipedia)

(b) I did not use the phrase "other countries" but the phrase "these countries" meaning the democratic countries that voted in favour of the Resolution or abstained. Their votes - in my opinion - indicate an acceptance of a person claiming to be President that they would never accept in their countries.

2. You state:

" That Abbas spoke as a “tyrannical despot” over a “territory he did not control” where “the people had no say”.

My reply:

I did not say that. What I said was:

"It mattered even less that Abbas was purporting to speak on behalf of a territorial entity he did not control - even as a tyrannical despot."

Abbas does not control Gaza but purports to speak for it.

I did not call Abbas a tyrannical despot. I was likening his claim to speak for a territory he did not control to a claim which one might expect of a tyrannical despot.

(to be continued)
Posted by david singer, Monday, 24 December 2012 4:13:58 PM
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#To Peter Bowen (Part 2)

3. You state:

" Also the joyous celebrations in Palestine convinced me that the people accepted him and were behind him."

My reply:

Does that mean that Abbas's demand that 600000 Jews be kicked out of the West Bank and his refusal to recognize Israel as the Jewish state are correct because they have the popular appeal of his constituency?

Was Hitler right because the Germans elected him to power and stood in the streets applauding his actions?

4. You state:

"On the other hand I was utterly dismayed that my country abstained – that it refused to support a move towards Palestinian independence and eventual peace in the Middle East.

My reply:

That move has already elicited responses from Hamas and Israel which directly undermine Palestinian independence and eventual peace in the Middle East.

All the democracies that voted as they did have contributed to what has followed since the Resolution was passed because they refused to vote "NO" and demand the PA return to the negotiating table rather than taking the unilateral action it did in violation of the Oslo Accords and the Bush Road Map.

If they were unable to foresee the consequences of their vote - then it says little for the competence of those Governments.

Julia Gillard got it right. Bob Carr got it wrong,

The ensuing chaos as detailed by me is offered as proof.

You can now add to that chaos the withholding of $400 million in PA taxation revenues collected by Israel to pay for unpaid electricity and water bills owed by the PA to Israel utility companies.

The threat of further conflict has been increased - not decreased - as a result of the vote.

That is my analysis of what has happened.

If you have a different view - I would be interested to hear it.

Please however do not twist my words or misquote me. Doing so only confuses readers and leads to my having to correct comments that should never have been made by you in the first place
Posted by david singer, Monday, 24 December 2012 4:40:56 PM
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